Fallow

by Sarah Anderson

Slyly funny and disarmingly tender, Fallow is the story of a young woman who signs up to be the world’s first in-house corporate surrogate, then finds herself caught up in a social experiment of another kind.

Natalie knows one truth: There is no such thing as a good job.

As the clock ticks away at the workplace harassment call center, she tries to ignore the increasing pain in her jaw. She has no dental insurance. She has no skills or ambitions. She has student loans. And, minute by minute, she hears the many ways workers are not just not getting by, but actually getting hustled.

Then, at the blood bank where she sells her plasma, a mysterious flyer leads her to The Company. Natalie turns out to be the perfect candidate for their pilot in-house surrogate. The Company pitches it as an opportunity to help women access greater gender equity, motherhood without maternity leave. Finally, she will be adequately—generously—compensated.

For years, her every need is stacks of healthy meals in the refrigerator of a luxury condo, fitness coaches and nutritionists, around-the-clock healthcare. Between deliveries, she takes time off—no obligations or expectations. For the first time in her life, she is good at her job; for the first time, she feels free.

But just as she’s about to fulfill the terms of her contract, a staffing decision upends everything and drags her deep into another social experiment. There she meets new questions about her future, her freedom, her purpose, and what she can expect from the world.

Woundingly funny and deeply moving, Sarah Anderson’s Fallow is a tender, hilarious, alarmingly real vision of a woman balancing on the knife-edge of capitalism as she comes to realize who she wants to be.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Dystopia, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Adult, Feminism

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 15, 2026

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wondered if Dr. X and Shane were actually onto something—if I had a little bit of trad wife in my genetic code. Maybe what I'd told Phoebe was right. Maybe this was something I was just good at.

No idea why this is tagged as "horror" on Goodreads. It is not a horror novel— in fact, it's barely a dystopian novel —but about a near future where a company offers surrogacy as part of their hiring package, ensuring that pregnancy doesn't mean a motherhood penalty for working women.

Natalie, sick and tired of her current job, seizes the opportunity to be a surrogate, to escape soul-sucking work culture and get paid to do almost nothing for nine months.

I've been very interested in the ethics around surrogacy ever since I read The Farm some years ago. Is it a noble venture? Or just another way of commodifying women's bodies? It also, of course, further complicates the already tense issue of whose rights have priority.

The way I would describe Fallow is very much a novel of two halves, and the first was much more to my tastes. I found Natalie funny and charming. While she is perhaps naive in some ways, I think her desire to escape from the rat race and indignity of corporate America is easily understandable. She essentially buys herself time and freedom by selling her body… is it worth it? I'd say Anderson gives a fairly balanced view on it.

It explores what happens when a surrogate becomes emotionally attached to the family they are carrying for, and also what happens when it is decided that a pregnancy should be terminated. If you are interested in ethical issues, surrogacy is drowning in them.

I do think, however, that it reaches a point where it is clear that the author has explored the topic she wanted to and doesn't really know where to go with it or how to finish it. Years go by in a sentence, and, at one point, Natalie makes a decision that I would have liked more introspection on. It was not really clear why she was doing it, what drove her to make that decision.

The last third or so was why I could not rate higher than 3 stars. Everything after the kidnapping got sillier and boring. The entire farm commune aspect was uninteresting to me, even though I did get the point Anderson was reaching for— the longing for a simpler life, finding pleasure in work again.

Lots to like in the first half, but a difficult one to find a satisfying finish for.

[Holden Wunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some books that you go into knowing you’ll just enjoy it, so it’s a giant relief when they don’t disappoint me. This is my kind of book in every way. Literary, darkly comedic, a bit of a grounded science fiction or speculative trip, a bit political, sarcasm heavy.

Sarah Anderson is coming in hot with her debut and I’m already so excited for her release and to see what she does next. Fallow follows our main character Natalie through an experimental first foray into surrogacy programs for tech companies who are desperate to even the ground for women wanting to give birth. The company clearly is wanting to put women first, allow them to keep their bottom line, their cultural and societal impact on the company and not lose the many sad benefits of staying at work during pregnancy and maternity leave. Are you catching my tone??

I’m utterly in love with Natalie and her neutrality in the beginning of this seemingly too good to be true program. The ramifications on her life, money, health and friendships. What happens when you can’t be honest 9 months out of 16? This reads like a Black Mirror episode with a little less horror and science fiction and is made for readers just like me.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved her short stories, Take Me to Kirkland (Joyland) and Left (Epiphany SS20), so I am super excited to read her novel!

Update: It’s fantastic! The premise seems far-fetched on paper, but the way the story and characters developed, it felt totally plausible. I think millennials are so desperate for financial relief that a lot more people would sign up to be surrogates than you might think. I loved the main character and her dynamic relationship with her mom and sisters. Anderson’s prose isn’t flowery, it’s simple and accessible, but she manages to use details and build narrative that feels full and rich in ways that more lyrical fiction can ultimately feel hollow. I’d be surprised if this book doesn’t end up in my top 5 for the year. I think there will be a great response from readers. It feels like a book you can recommend to anyone. Excited to read more from Anderson in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and FSG for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn

Banger after banger.

I am so thankful to FSG Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Anderson for advanced digital access before this beauty hits shelves on September 15, 2026.

Natalie has found herself in a sticky situation. She desperately needs her wisdom teeth removed, and doesn’t have health insurance… so what does she do?? Becomes an in-house, contractual surrogate for a massive tech company, pops out 7 babies in 10 years, deposits hundreds of thousands of dollars, and loses all connection with the real world as she’s hidden beneath NDAs and strict rules.

Woof.

There were times where I read this novel and thought, heck, I could do that.

But no pregnancy is like the other, and some experiences leave her scarred, and longing for a connection she didn’t previously anticipate.

Darkly funny and horrifically spun, Fallow played with my emotions and sent me spiraling. I’m so excited to see what everyone else thinks!!

[CJ Alberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was aight! A book in two parts really. The first more my speed. Cynical and critical and examining systematic control albeit through a lazy and avoidant character. The second half is a pretty hard swerve into the pastoral that felt pretty alien for our narrator. Meh!

[fede · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC kindly sent by the publisher.
all opinions are my own!

this one comes out on September 15th

this book wasn't what I expected and I mean that as a compliment. Fallow's premise seems simple: Natalie, a young woman with no dental insurance and thousands of dollars of student loans, decides to apply for a new job at The Company. here, she will be fairly compesated for her work - for the first time in her life. the job? become an in-house surrogate for The Company's executives, delivering 7 babies in 10 years. Natalie's life drastically changes: she starts to live a comfortable life where she no longer needs to worry about the next paycheck. but suddenly, her dream starts to unravel and, through humour and endless surprises, we follow Natalie's journey through adulthood in the modern age. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! Natalie's story was unique and special in its own way. although she was, in many ways, an unlikable protagonist, I loved following her journey of self discovery in a world dominated by capitalism where workers live only to increase capital, losing their individuality and freedom. a stunning debut, can't wait to read Sarah Anderson's next novel.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fallow started out as commentary about capitalism, the patriarchy, and corporate greed. From student loan debt to low wages, skyrocketing housing costs, and a subpar healthcare system, the book shows us firsthand how difficult it is for young people to survive in the modern world.

When Natalie is faced with needing a painful and expensive dental procedure, she turns to plasma donation to supplement her low-paying call center job. At the plasma center, she learns of a job as a corporate surrogate, which could be the answer to all of her financial problems.

Without giving too much away, about the middle of the book the narrative takes a dramatic turn away from the urban commentary and shifts toward something much more pastoral. The cow on the cover is a metaphor, but it's also literal.

Overall, this book was interesting, and I appreciated the questions about society invoked by the text. At points the pacing felt a little slow, and the book felt disjointed — the first half had a very different vibe than the second half.

Through it all, our main character was untethered floating along wherever the wind took her. She was so passive and indifferent; life was something that happened to her. She was a victim. I think her character arc could've been delivered more strongly, as this was clearly meant to be a coming-of-age story, because in the end, "she gave birth to herself."

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[nicolealese · Rating 4 out of 5]

the real horror is that this book made the dystopian, life-altering corporate in-house surrogacy job sound more peaceful than a normal office job.

am i part of the problem if I would seriously consider signing too if it meant I didn’t have to ever work a 9-5 again & still have all my bills paid??
moo. 🤰🐮😂

[Megan Beauregard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected hit for me! Thank you to FSG for the NetGalley ARC.

With the wit and humor of Jen Beagin’s Big Swiss, the eerie vibes of Apple TV’s Severance, and a perfect companion to Blackett and Gleichman’s Trust & Safety, Fallow by Sarah Anderson is a must-read speculative workplace novel.
Would you rather live a life of comfort, with everything provided for you - but your body doesn’t belong to you? Or, would you prefer freedom and community, but live a life filled with labor and hard work?
Fallow explores capitalism, labor, pregnancy, utopia, and the workforce through the lens of Natalie, the first corporate surrogate for The Company.
I did not expect to love Fallow as much as I did, and found it impossible to put down. I thought the book covered a lot of really fascinating topics. But, I never felt like any of the themes or metaphors were being spoon-fed or overexplained, which is usually what deters me from a lot of contemporary novels. This novel was hilarious, thoughtful, horrifying, and well-plotted, and I would highly recommend it; in fact, I’ve already gotten 6 of my friends to add it to their TBR!

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fallow is an engaging novel built on a strong concept: what if a major company provided in-house surrogacy services for its employees? What kind of woman would want to serve in this role? Who would this scheme ultimately benefit?

For the first two parts of this book, I thought it handled those questions well and did a good job highlighting some of the thornier issues surrounding surrogacy. Unfortunately, this doesn't exactly land the plane when it takes a sharp turn in the final third and then meanders to a strange, false feeling ending. It is a debut, and so in some ways it feels like two separate stories that were worked into one.

I still enjoyed the beginning of this book and all of the questions the idea of corporate surrogacy raises, so I still think this is worth checking out. It would probably make for either the best or worst book club pick, depending on the discussion that follows.

Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mitchell Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing foot in that it is a commentary on corporate and capitalistic culture. In addition, there's a kidnapping, living at a commune. Sound confusing? Let me explain!

Natalie, our main character, is desperate to get dental insurance so that she can get her wisdom teeth removed. She was at the point of doing just about everything to make money, when a mysterious advertisement to be a corporate surrogate for a fortune 500 company. The goal? Increase employee productivity, more specifically female identifying employees, in an effort to help lessen the gender gap. The solution, allow this corporate surrogate to have your kids.

The premise of this book had me hooked. What I appreciate about this book is that there is such impactful humor that lands with lessons. I think that this book tackles what companies will do to make sure they are producing. In addition, I think that Anderson does a nice job at demonstrating that college educated people are financially struggling in their 20's and the lack of support to get necessary health things completed, people will to do just about everything.

There is also great lessons learned on the surrogacy process and the impact it has on a gestational carrier in all aspects of their life. In addition, the relationships they have for the family they are supporting. Some of these relationships could be VERY interesting, and that is all I will say without ruining the book!

If you liked Yesteryear and Handmaids tale, this book is for you.

[Flo]

Enjoyed the critique of work and capitalism at the centre of this novel but some of the plot points were bewildering and inconsistent. The premise is great, the writing is sometimes excellent and other times functional… I felt like this didn’t know whether it wanted to be literary or not.

[ciara hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and FSG for the arc!!

Wow this was GOOD. Controversial feminism with a preposterous (not really) plot that would make a fabulous movie! Women are crucial to daily life and society as a whole, always making HERstory!!!!

[Mika Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!

I went into Fallow immediately in love with its speculative concept — in-house surrogates feel exactly like something that late-stage capitalism would invent. I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book, which fit almost perfectly into my expectations for such a book. Conversely, the last third feels almost like a whole different novel... yet I was pleasantly surprised.

“But just as she’s about to fulfill the terms of her contract, a staffing decision upends everything and drags her deep into another social experiment.” — This is how that section is described in the synopsis, but that description doesn’t feel exactly true to how the section occurs within the book itself. Truthfully, it set false expectations that left me almost disappointed when we reached that point in the novel. But once we got into the groove of the last third, I ended up enjoying it. The last part of the novel is pastoral, rejuvenating, and emotionally feels like the “fallow” period referenced throughout the book (and of course, its title). I’m also just a sucker for a good ending.

Overall, the plot was fast-paced, and I really enjoyed exploring Natalie’s relationships with other characters (Jackie, Anika, and Phoebe in particular). There were a couple of plot threads that I wish had been wrapped up a bit more clearly, but this didn’t impede my enjoyment of the book.

This book feels less about surrogacy per se, and rather about labor in a capitalist society overall. It subverted my expectations by the end, even though it fit them so well at the beginning. It’s a read that I would definitely recommend, and I’m really interested in seeing readers discuss the topics brought up in the novel!

[Michelle Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Sarah Anderson's Fallow. Natalie hates her low-paying job and has started selling her plasma for extra cash. She desperately needs dental insurance, so she applies for a mysterious position at "The Company," an unnamed, uber-famous tech company. She makes it through every step of the hiring process only to discover that she will be a surrogate.

Corporate America is tired of women underperforming during pregnancy and missing promotions because of maternity leave or part-time work. The company claims that Project Genesis is all about equality and levelling the playing field for women. They are willing to pay Natalie a lot of money to have babies for executives, along with benefits, a fancy apartment, and time between pregnancies to relax. It seems like a small price to pay for an easy life, and Natalie signs on the dotted line.

Fallow is immensely readable. I rationalized staying up far too late on school nights just to read a few more chapters. The book takes a sharp turn in the third act that surprised me, but I see where Anderson was going with it.

Fallow has a lot to say about which parts of women's bodies society deems acceptable to sell, the commodification of motherhood, and the ways that the loss of benefits or a livable wage can force employees into difficult choices. Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the ARC. Fallow comes out September 15th.

[Sherwood Smith]

This is women's fiction that is not quite satire and not quite horror, exploring the politics and ethics of surrogacy in a dystopian world paralleling our present, in which women try to “have it all” while coping with the world of capitalism with minimal safety net.

Natalie, our first person narrator, is deep in debt, has no idea what to do with her life, and doesn't seem motivated to try to find a path. Offered a lucrative contract to essentially rent out her womb for ten years, she grabs it, having babies for women high up in the corporate world so they don’t have to take time away from their careers.

The emotional demands of surrogacy get plenty of attention in the first half, as between pregnancies, or during the "fallow" times, Natalie recovers. But the second half wanders off into the weeds, satirizing a mostly-women's utopian farm, as the story mostly meanders off into the weeds, dropping the main thrust almost entirely.

That said, the author managed to hold my interest in a protagonist who is largely incurious about the world, and spends her free time getting drunk, stoned, etc, while never really connecting to anyone. Especially other women; she doesn't seem to like anyone, including herself. While I think this story is largely a first pancake I'm very interested in the writer, and want to see what she does next.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

what the hell did I just read??? very Severance plus "girl that just wants to have fun and not work"

I finished this book in two days. Concerning? yes. I had to know more about The Company and how this would all play out, which unfortunately didn't answer much. (no answers about The Company sperm???) This was a freaky, corporate surrogacy plot that I could totally see happening in present day with a major tech company. Especially the way it was highlighted as a feminist strategy, to preserve women in the workforce, seemed very modern and topical.

The last third of the book was pretty unexpected to me, but I liked the direction it took the character and how she evolved into realizing she must choose some form of work to survive, but not necessarily a capitalistic one.

A lot of ends were not really resolved, I wish the conflict with Phoebe and her family had a better resolution. Or we were given some five year epilogue or something? Very vague ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fallow felt like it was inspired by the Handmaids Tale with a corporate twist. And then there was a kidnapping (adultnapping?) and then there was a feminist commune???? And then it ended in the most boring way possible.

The more I think about this book the more I hate it. So no, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for the chance to read the advanced digital copy.

[Zora Binks · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG! Finally, a FMC like me, facing the burden of figuring out what to do with life when you truly just want to vibe out and not work under these 21st-century capitalist expectations.

The premise of this story is surrogacy, but really, it explores the sacrifices women make under economic pressure- our bodies, time, autonomy… even our sense of community.

It was a weirdly comforting feminist read, bc somehow I found myself romanticizing corporate surrogacy and commune living? So there’s that.

I would totally recommend this as a book club read AND I would love to see this turned into something on screen. Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for my first-ever ARC! It will always be one to remember.

[Breanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know much about this book when I first started it, and it made for such an enjoyable reading experience! I think this is a great recommendation for those who like light dystopian, humorous reads with a twist.

We are following Natalie, a young woman entering the workforce for the first time, trying to navigate finding a job she enjoys and making money while doing it (relatable). After working at a call center for several years and falling on her luck, Natalie begins donating plasma for quick cash. There, she is told of an elusive opportunity at "The Company" with a significantly higher payout. The only catch? The job was a lot more, well... demanding. Natalie, in desperate need of dental insurance, becomes the Company's surrogate. Yes, you heard that right- an in-house surrogate. What could go wrong?

At first, the job seems great. For the first time in her life, Natalie is living a life of luxury: a beautiful condo, a personal fitness instructor, healthy food. But then, things take a turn.

It was so fun watching Natalie, someone I would describe as a truly morally gray character, make life-altering decisions and navigate the workforce. I absolutely devoured this. At no point could I put it down. I originally went into this book thinking it was for fans of "Severance" on Apple TV (hello, office ceiling on the cover with a farm animal? iykyk) and while the tone of this book is very different and lighter despite the heavy topics, I recommend it for fans!

Written very humorously, this is a book that I can see a lot of different types of readers picking up and enjoying! Be sure to keep an eye out for the release date, September 15, 2026!

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Sandra Koka (pielasit_sirdi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It’s always a strange thing, leaving the hospital without baby. It feels like I am recovering from a surgery, from the removal of something. A tumor, or my appendix.”

Is work just a work, even if your body is the tool you use to do it?!

What’s your price? How much would be too much?


In a way, the symbolic cow on the cover put me on the exact same wavelength as another well-known bestseller, expanding on the theme along parallel lines. So I was very excited to read this one.

On one hand, the book feels dystopian, yet entirely real.

A surrogate mother who gets compensated for her "labor"- though it all depends on which country and legal system we are talking about.

The author made the protagonist sharp-witted, blunt, and completely unfiltered, giving the novel a darkly sarcastic edge. Of course, it all comes down to your sense of humor; how funny or sadly philosophical you find this exploration is entirely subjective.


“We call them the two holes. The Labour hole and the Asshole.” (253.p.)

The main character is stuck in a dead-end job that doesn’t even offer dental insurance. Desperate for a way out of a critical financial situation, she crosses paths with a company that will provide Jackie with the cash she so desperately needs in exchange for carrying a pregnancy to term.

But is work really just work? At what point does it completely cross the line into your private life?

It’s a fantastic premise, and I was really looking forward to a journey that combined literary enjoyment with heavyweight questions. However, the plot and the flat, gray nature of the protagonist ended up stalling, failing to break out of its own narrow box.

3 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for ARC in exchange for an honest review.



Lv

Darbs ir tikai darbs, pat, ja tavs darba instruments ir tavs ķermenis?! Kāda ir tava cena?

Savā ziņā simboliskā govs uz vāka aizveda mani uz viena viļņa ar kādu citu bestselleru, tēmu paplašinot kādās paralēlajās līnijās. No vienas puses darbs ir distopisks un reizē reāls. Māte-surogāte, kas tiek atalgota par savu “darbu”, viss atkarīgs, par kuru valsti un likumdošanu mēs runājam.

Autore radījusi savu varoni asmēlīgu, tiešu, bez bremzēm, tādejādi iekrāsojot romānu tumši sarkastiskā noskaņā. Viss, protams, atkarīgs no humora izjūtas un tas jau ir individuāls jautājums, cik smieklīga vai skumji filosofiska ir šīs tēmas iztirzāšana.

Galvenā varone ir iestigusi savā briesmīgajā darbā, kurā viņai nav pat zobārstniecības apdrošināšana. Tāpēc, meklējot izeju kritiskam naudas trūkumam, viņa iepazīstas ar kompāniju, kas, apmaiņā pret bērnu iznēsāšanu, nodrošinās Džekiju ar tik nepieciešamo naudu. Un lielu naudu. Bet, vai darbs ir tikai darbs, kurā mirklī tas pārkāpj privātās dzīve robežu?!


Lieliska tēma, es ļoti gaidīju piedzīvojumu, kurā apvienots literārs baudījums ar svarīgiem jautājumiem. Tomēr romāna sižets un varones pelēkums buksēja un nespēja izkāpt laukā no ierobežotās kastes.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I raced through Fallow at a feverish pace. The writing was like a best friend telling you a juicy story over drinks and I was so thirsty for the details that I swallowed this book in one gigantic gulp.

Natalie is a perfect depiction of a gen-zer growing up in end stage capitalism where money is king and loyalties lie where the highest bidder is paying. This generation is so disillusioned by needing to make seemingly impossible sums of money just to scrape by, that it’s created its own rules for success. Natalie doesn’t know what she wants to do when she grows up, per se, but she does know that a lucrative offer to become a corporate surrogate sounds like a cushy temporary solution to her problems. Sure she might have to surrender her body to the company’s demands (eating well, sleeping plenty, yoga everyday, etc..) but for her it’s a perfectly acceptable trade off for the financial perks the job offers.

I loved every twist and turn this story offered and I swallowed down a hearty lump in my throat at the final scene of the novel, knowing so deeply the transition she was undertaking for herself. The themes of loneliness and of belonging and motherhood entwined so beautifully through the story. I keep thinking of the idea Anderson presents on the topic of work and love and how it translates and transmutes from the corporate world to the world she ultimately feels most at home in by the end.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. I will be telling everyone I know to get this into their hot little hands the moment it comes out in Sept!

[Louise Karolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew from the first couple of pages into reading Fallow that it was going to be a good book. And sure enough, it was; however, the book almost felt divided into two parts. In the first part we get to see Natalie, our main character, escape her call center job and shared apartment. Instead, she signs up for a opportunity which gives her a life of luxury in exchange for seven pregnancies. In the second part, it all changes.

I loved the first part. I liked Natalie and I enjoyed reading about the Company, the pregnancies and her journey. She was clever, funny in a deadpan kind of way and almost a villain at times, and I was extremely curious as to where her journey would end up.

What I liked most about this book was the writing. The writing stayed strong throughout the novel and was probably my favorite part of this novel. I really enjoyed the author's style and I would love to read her upcoming works.

The second part is what unfortunately brings this down to a 3 star read for me. I didn't enjoy the farm, and without giving away too much, I feel like Natalie kind of... accepted everything too easy. I get that that's her personality, but it felt a bit too unrealistic and over the top for me.

The ending was beautiful though, I'll give it that, even though it's not the way I wanted it to end up. It's still a good book and I think readers who enjoyed Yesteryear will absolutely love this one. 3 stars.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

[Tyler Atwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wry, satirical, compulsively readable.

A twenty-something woman who desperately wants money but hates working signs a contract to become an in-house surrogate for a corporation, agreeing to deliver seven babies over ten years for its executives. Naturally, shit hits the fan in spectacular fashion. The premise sounds outlandish, but Anderson somehow makes it feel, if not exactly plausible, then not nearly as over the top as you’d think.

Natalie should have been far more unlikable than she is, but I found her kind of charming and easy to root for? I’m still sitting with the third act—especially the abrupt ending. I have more than a few questions about The Company in the aftermath of what happened…

Overall, a great debut. Less “weird girl” than I was expecting, so don’t let that label scare you off if that’s not your thing.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy from Net Galley

Wowwowow I didn’t expect to love this so much. My favorite read of the year so far!

A uniquely feminist commentary that’s modern yet dystopian, so funny yet dark, absurd yet somehow plausible, and even a little relatable if you’ve worked in corporate. The last 1/4 took a turn that slowed the plot a bit, but in a way that made it an unexpectedly sweet quirky ending.

Sarah’s writing is definitely for me. As her debut novel, I can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

(thank you to NetGalley and FSG for the ARC in exchange for an honest review)

wow wow what a fun premise

Natalie hates her low paying job at a call centre. Having no money and in dire need of wisdom tooth removal she becomes desperate. That's how she finds herself at the centre of an experimental in-house surrogate program at tech conglomerate 'The Company'! In exchange for 7 babies in 10 years, Natalie's offered more money than she ever thought possible.. so of course she signs her name on the dotted line.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book and lowkey related to the protagonist. I meaaaan who wouldn't want millions of dollars, free rent, free food, and no work. It was really interesting diving into Natalie's head and this strange situation Anderson created. It's dystopian but unfortunately not entirely unbelievable that this could exist today. The last 25% of the book took a pretty sharp turn into the pastoral that I found myself much less interested in. I binged the early section of the book but after the shift found myself not returning. I sort of had to force myself to pick it up and finish the story

Still a really interesting read but the shift felt a bit too out of the blue for me:/

[C.Z. Munu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fallow was a fascinating and thought-provoking read. I was immediately drawn in by Sarah Anderson's writing—the prose is beautiful, immersive, and quietly unsettling, making it difficult to put down.

What really stood out to me were the novel's themes. Anderson explores feminism, bodily autonomy, and the ethics of the fertility industry in a way that constantly challenges the reader. The protagonist is deeply flawed and often unlikeable, yet I found myself rooting for her despite questioning the morality of her choices. That's what made this book so compelling: it never offers easy answers.

Throughout the novel, I kept asking myself whether the main character's actions were empowering or ultimately contributing to the commodification of women's bodies. Is she exercising true bodily autonomy, or is she reinforcing the very systems that exploit women? I appreciated that the book trusted readers to wrestle with these questions rather than providing a clear-cut moral stance.

Around the middle of the novel, the story takes a turn that I wasn't initially sure about. Looking back, though, I think it was exactly what the story needed. It deepened the novel's central questions and left me thinking about how society values women's reproductive capacity while often failing to protect the women themselves.

Beautifully written, unsettling, and full of difficult ethical questions, Fallow is a novel that stayed with me long after I finished it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[J.L. Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fallow by Sarah Anderson had a lot of potential, especially with its themes surrounding corporate loyalty, identity, and complicated relationships, but for me, it never fully dug as deep as I wanted it to. The story introduces several compelling dynamics, yet many of them only seem to scratch the surface before moving on. I kept waiting for one particular couple’s storyline to become more emotionally layered, but instead it felt like we were only floating on top of something that could have been much more impactful.

That said, the storyline involving Jackie was easily the strongest part of the novel for me. Jackie’s reaction to everything unfolding around her felt raw, and I found myself genuinely invested whenever the focus shifted back to her. The book also delivers a painfully realistic commentary on how disposable workers can feel under massive corporations. The idea that a company will replace you in a heartbeat is something many working people can relate to, and the story captures that frustration well.

I also appreciated the character development between Jackie and Natalie. Their dynamic evolves naturally throughout the book and added some much-needed emotional depth. Natalie, however, was a difficult character for me to like for most of the story. Even so, I was glad to see her eventually find some sense of peace by the end.

Overall, the novel contains interesting ideas and strong emotional moments, but I left wishing it had explored its characters and relationships with more depth instead of only brushing the surface.

[weirdgirlliterature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

I love love LOVED this book!! This follows our main character Natalie, who simply, doesn’t want to work. When she hears about an opportunity to be paid to be a surrogate for a company, she’s sold.

This book was a really interesting perspective on the ethical side of surrogacy, and the commodification of it in order to increase productivity in a company. The last act of the book was definitely an unexpected turn, but I highly recommend this book!!

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie is a directionless twenty-something living in New York, working a job that's easy in theory and exhausting in practice: fielding calls at an HR harassment hotline, hearing everything from petty office grievances to women describing being fired for reporting their bosses. She grew up one of eleven sisters, raised by a mother whose entire identity was motherhood, and knows with total certainty she doesn't want that life. What she wants instead, she has no idea. Enter The Company — a shadowy, world-renowned corporation offering Natalie nearly a million dollars for work that sounds too easy to be real: serve as an in-house surrogate, deliver a set number of babies over a set number of years, and want for nothing ever again.

It's a premise with real teeth — a satire of late capitalism, reproductive labor, and the myth of the "good job," wearing the skin of speculative fiction. On paper, exactly the kind of book I'd pick up immediately.

My biggest issue with Fallow is that it's shelved under horror, thriller, and mystery, and it's none of those things. Going in expecting any of them sets you up for the wrong reading experience entirely. The first half plays at thriller pacing, keeping Natalie in the dark about almost everything. That could build real suspense, except suspense only works if withheld information eventually pays off. It doesn't. I reached the final pages and realized the central questions the book spent 150 pages raising were simply never going to be answered. That's not restraint; that's a book that ran out of plan.

The same vagueness bleeds into the physical reality of the story. Natalie has never been pregnant, yet her first birthing experience is glossed over almost entirely and folded into a montage with the next several. We lose touch with her at exactly the moment we should be getting closer — it reads like the author had enough material for the premise but not for the follow-through, and the book gets lost right along with her.

The midpoint "twist" is rushed to the point of incoherence. I finished with more questions than answers: why orchestrate a kidnapping with no apparent plan? Why doesn't Natalie take the obvious out available to her? Why doesn't she just tell the person threatening her the one fact that would stop everything? None of it holds up.

From there, the back half stretches on well past the point of purpose. It's much closer to a coming-of-age novel than anything resembling horror or mystery, assembled so loosely it feels less like a genre pivot than a book giving up on its own premise. I picked this up expecting one kind of story and got dropped into another, without either one being fully realized.

One detail that stood out to me: a handful of incidental real-world references out of step with the rest of the book — an "Israeli" ingredient mentioned in passing, a nod to an "Israeli IVF study" cited by one of the doctors. What makes this stand out is where it happens. Near-future corporate satire tends to run on deliberate vagueness — the unnamed corporation, the anonymized institution, a setting that's recognizably "now-ish" but never pinned to a specific real-world entity. Anderson leans into that convention everywhere else: The Company is never named, Natalie's doctor is referred to only as "Dr. X," and even what The Company actually does beyond the surrogacy program stays deliberately hazy. That vagueness is doing real work — it's what makes The Company feel sinister and totalizing, a stand-in for corporate power in general. It's a big part of why the satire lands when it lands (albeit, seldom).

Which is what makes the "Israeli" references so jarring by comparison. They're the only place in the book where the fictional remove drops and a specific, real-world national identifier attaches to something, with no clear narrative payoff. It doesn't deepen Natalie's world or characterize Dr. X or The Company any further. Structurally, it reads like an inconsistency in the novel's own rules for itself — everything else obscured on purpose, and then, twice, for no evident reason, it isn't. For a book this deliberate about what it withholds, that's a real seam. And a very pointed choice in the year 2026.

I also didn't buy the "humor" genre label — Natalie gets more vapid as the first half of the story progresses, but not in a way that lands as funny or relatable, more in a wincing, secondhand-embarrassment way. While she's not necessarily likable, and that alone isn't a dealbreaker — a messy, still-figuring-it-out woman trying to understand what "work" is supposed to give her is a fine premise. The problem is the book never earns the payoff. She doesn't grow so much as get shuffled from one circumstance to the next, passively accepting whatever happens rather than choosing anything. By the end, she's fundamentally where she started, which makes the 300-plus pages between feel more like waiting than reading.

Fallow has a genuinely compelling hook which is part of what makes the execution so frustrating. The ideas are there — capitalism, bodily autonomy, the hollowness of "good" jobs — but the plotting never catches up to the concept, and the genre labeling actively works against the reading experience. If you go in expecting literary fiction with satirical bite and can tolerate an ending that answers almost nothing, there's something here. If you go in expecting the thriller or horror novel the shelving promises, you'll likely close it as frustrated as I did. - 3.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.